School System Hedges Bets

When it comes to the California Lottery, San Diego school officials are showing that they’re not big on gambling.

School board members and Supt. Thomas Payzant are taking an appropriately cautious attitude about spending the district’s $9.5-million share of the first year’s proceeds from the game that pledges 34% of every dollar to education. This stance is not making the school board’s negotiations with the San Diego Teachers Assn. go any easier.

The teachers union thinks the one-third share of the lottery money the school board has allocated for teachers should become a permanent part of the salary schedule. The board and administration say it should be given to teachers in the form of a bonus, so the district would maintain flexibility if the lottery money is less in future years. The board is also offering teachers a 6% increase in salaries.

Most school districts across the state are using the lottery money for books, computers and other supplies, not for salaries. Payzant is asking the San Diego school board to divide the money in roughly equal parts among teacher bonuses, individual school needs and districtwide needs.

Using some of the money for teachers is a good idea. They deserve higher salaries, and they should benefit from the lottery. But it doesn’t make sense to gamble that future years’ revenues will approach what they are in this debut season. As Supt. of Public Instruction Bill Honig points out, gambling receipts have dropped sharply in other states after the first few months.

The school board should follow Payzant’s recommendation when it takes up the issue Tuesday and stick with the plan for teacher bonuses. The next time the district negotiates a contract with the teachers, everyone will know more about what is realistic to expect from the lottery, and perhaps then using lottery money for teacher salaries will seem more of a safe bet.